Globalization and Implications to Governance in Post-Industrial Economies.

Abstract

This article explicates how post-industrial changes in the form of globalization have changed social welfare and public policy making worldwide. In contrast with the economic downturn and global softening of labor markets which cry for greater social protection, the welfare state of the last century has been replaced by a competitive state of the 21st century, as a 'non-sovereign power' mindful of its global positioning but less powerful in shaping daily life among social forces including the role of NGOs. Indicating a lag between transnational developments and the way analysts think of social policies, the paper asserts that nation-states nonetheless serve important administrative functions in a world dominated by transnational corporate interests. In considering all the challenges to justice and governance, social welfare needs to be redefined and extended while market economy must be guided by moral principles that embody fundamental human values.